Holy War (Utah vs. BYU)

The Holy War
Conference	Big 12 Conference
Teams	Utah Utes BYU Cougars
Trophy	Beehive Boot
Originated	April 6, 1896
Series	Utah leads, 62–36–4
First Game	Utah 12, BYU 4 April 6, 1896
Most Recent Game	BYU 22, Utah 21 November 9
Current Streak	BYU 2, (2021–present)
Next Game	Provo TBD 2025

The Holy War is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the University of Utah Utes and Brigham Young University Cougars. The game is part of the larger Utah–BYU rivalry. In this rivalry context, the term "Holy War" refers to the fact that BYU is owned and administered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and the University of Utah is a public university owned and administered by the State of Utah. Although many Utah fans are LDS members, the term "Holy War" also refers to the stark cultural differences of the respective fan bases. The proximity of the two schools, the athletic successes of the two teams, and the longevity of the series also contribute to the rivalry.

Both teams played in the same conference from 1922 to 2010 and the Holy War game often decided the conference title. Despite Utah moving to the Pacific-12 Conference in 2011 and BYU becoming an independent that same year, the two universities agreed to play in 2011 and 2012. A deal has been worked out to play the game in 2013 and 2016, but the game will not be played in 2014 and 2015. 2014–2015 will be the first interruption in the series since 1943 to 1945, when BYU did not field a team due to World War II.

Rivalry components

Holy War logo 2024-present

There are a number of components that make the Holy War particularly fierce. The University of Utah and Brigham Young University are the two biggest colleges in the state of Utah. There is a stark contrast between the campuses and student bodies, as one is a religious institution while the other is a public university. As the name of the rivalry implies, religion is a large component to the rivalry. Brigham Young University is owned by the LDS church, and thus imposes religious restrictions upon its students. Although both are dry campuses, variation between the religious student body at BYU and more lax, traditional university student body of the U creates further animosity between the two schools. The long length of rivalry is also a major element.

Religion

The University of Utah is the flagship university of the state of Utah, while Brigham Young University is the flagship university of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Coaches and administrators might prefer it if religion played less of a role in the rivalry, but some fans and players make an issue of religion. Some fans of BYU are accused of acting arrogant or self-righteous, as if their religious beliefs make them innately superior to Utah fans. Some fans of Utah are accused of being antagonistic through behaviors such as intentionally swearing or drinking alcohol excessively around BYU fans, both of which are known to be forbidden by the Brigham Young University Honor Code. Often lost in this "us vs. them" perspective is the fact that a portion of Utah fans are themselves active members of the LDS church.

Longevity

The two schools disagree on when the first game was played. Utah claims that the first game was played in 1896 against Brigham Young Academy. BYU's athletic website shows their schedule dating back to 1922, but no earlier. Utah claims a lead of 57–34–4, while BYU claims Utah leads 54–31–4; BYU does not count the six games between Utah and Brigham Young Academy in its records.

Utah has a large lead in the overall series due to dominating the rivalry prior to 1972 (41–8–4). From 1972 to 1992, BYU led the series with a record of 19–2 over the Utes. In 1994 the Utes won consecutive games in the series for the first time since 1972. The rivalry has intensified since 1992. The last 21 games have resulted in 14 Utah victories and seven for BYU. The largest point spread during the last 21 meetings is 44 points, which occurred in 2011 when Utah won 54–10.

Proximity

BYU, which is in Provo, Utah, and the University of Utah, which is in Salt Lake City, Utah, are about fifty miles apart and approximately an hour's drive away on Interstate 15. Consequently, the two teams compete for recruits and fan support. It is not uncommon for friends, neighbors, and even family members to have opposite allegiances.

Successful teams

While the two teams have not necessarily been strong at the same time, the two teams have the most conference championships in the Mountain West Conference (MWC). Each team has had four conference championships since the creation of the MWC in 1999. Utah has twenty-four conference championships in its history, while BYU has twenty-three. Both of these numbers are well ahead of the third place team in the MWC, Colorado State, who has fifteen. Other than the 2011 meeting, the recent games in the Holy War have tended to be close, with the final score of fifteen of the last nineteen games being within a touchdown (seven points) or less.

BYU can lay claim to a consensus national championship for going undefeated in 1984 and beating Michigan in the 1984 Holiday Bowl. Utah has been to two Bowl Championship Series bowls: the 2005 Fiesta Bowl (a 35–7 victory over Pitt) and the 2009 Sugar Bowl (a 31–17 victory over Alabama). For these BCS bowl victories, Utah finished ranked in the AP Poll #4 and #2, respectively.

Series history

The Brigham Young Academy years

Before 1903, BYU was known as Brigham Young Academy (BYA). During the 1890s, Utah and BYA played six times in football. The two schools split the series 3–3. The first meeting was an unusual April contest that Utah won 12–4.

BYA stopped playing football sometime after these six games and did not start again until 1922, after it had become Brigham Young University (BYU). BYU does not recognize these first six meetings as it only recognizes football games played from 1922 onward.

Utah's early dominance

BYU vs Utah 1952

After twenty-three years of not having a team, BYU resumed play for the 1922 season. Utah began its early dominance over BYU with a 49–0 victory on October 14, 1922. BYU would not get another win in the series until 1942, when the Cougars shocked the Utes 12–7 at Utah. The rivalry then took a hiatus from 1943 to 1945 because BYU did not field a team due to World War II. When the rivalry continued in 1946, the Utes continued their domination over the Cougars, winning or tying the next twelve contests. The rivalry continued this trend into the 1972 season, at which point Utah had amassed a 41–8–4 (.811) record against BYU.

The LaVell Edwards era

In 1972, the rivalry shifted in favor of BYU. The Cougars had hired LaVell Edwards and in his first season, BYU beat Utah 16–7 for BYU's first victory over Utah in four years. The win signaled the beginning of BYU's dominance against Utah. From 1972 to 1992, BYU went 19–2 (.905) against Utah.

During those years, Utah went through a series of coaches that all ended with losing records against LaVell Edwards and BYU. Bill Meek's Utes went 0–2 against Edwards during Meek's last two years (1972–1973). Tom Lovat (1974–1976) was 0–3. Wayne Howard (1977–1981) was 1–4. Chuck Stobart (1982–1984) was 0–3. Jim Fassel was 1–4. Finally, Utah found some success when it hired Ron McBride in 1990. McBride would finish with a 5–6 record against LaVell Edwards, but he started with three consecutive losses to Edwards.

1977–1981: Edwards versus Howard

Wayne Howard's Crusade

During the 1977 meeting, BYU was on the way to winning in a 38–8 blowout. Nonetheless, LaVell Edwards put starting quarterback Marc Wilson back into the game so Wilson could set an NCAA record for passing yards. Wilson succeeded in setting the record (subsequently broken) and finished the game with 571 passing yards. The incident infuriated Utah head coach Wayne Howard. After the game he said, "This today will be inspiring. The hatred between BYU and Utah is nothing compared to what it will be. It will be a crusade to beat BYU from now on. This is a prediction: in the next two years Utah will drill BYU someday, but we won’t run up the score even if we could set an NCAA record against them." The next year, Wayne Howard made good on his promise. The Utes came from behind to upset the Cougars 23–22. The 1978 win was Utah's first against a LaVell Edwards coached BYU team.

Jim McMahon says, 'Scoreboard.'

During the 1980 Holy War, BYU quarterback Jim McMahon helped engineer a blowout. Most of the game he was heckled by a contingent of Utah fans at Rice Stadium. After throwing for another touchdown late in the 56–6 win, he simply pointed at the scoreboard to quiet the hecklers. The game was in the midst of a 12–1 BYU season. It was also their second consecutive win against Utah and their eighth win out of the last nine games against Utah. The fifty point margin of victory is the largest for either team in the series.

1982–1984: Edwards versus Stobart

National Champions

On November 17, 1984, BYU entered the Holy War 10–0 and ranked #3 in the AP Poll. BYU overcame several turnovers to win 24–14. BYU would finish the season 13–0 and the only undefeated team in Division I-A (now the Football Bowl Subdivision). They were voted number one in the final AP Poll as well as the Coaches' Poll to become consensus national champions. This was the last time a team not currently affiliated with the BCS won a national championship; the next most recent was Army in 1945.

1985–1989: Edwards versus Fassel

The Rice Bowl

In 1988, Utah had not beaten BYU since 1978 and entered the Holy War as 11-point underdogs. Utah had a mediocre 5–5 record while BYU was 8–2 and had already accepted an invitation to the Freedom Bowl. BYU looked ready to humiliate the Utes again. Instead Utah and quarterback Scott Mitchell jumped on BYU early and took a 21–0 lead on the way to winning 57–28. The 1988 team set a series record for points scored against BYU—a record that stands today. The game came to be known locally as "the Rice Bowl" because the game was played at Utah's Rice Stadium.

BYU Celebrates 1984 National Championship

Revenge

The next year, in 1989, BYU got their revenge. They set a series record by scoring 70 against Utah. BYU jumped to a 49–0 lead before Utah scored its first touchdown just before halftime. Behind quarterback Ty Detmer, BYU would score eight touchdowns on its first eight possessions and amass over 750 yards of total offense during the 70–31 win. Utah would score three touchdowns in the fourth quarter against BYU's reserves. The 101 points the two teams scored is still a series record.

The modern rivalry

By the mid-1990s, the Cougars' success leveled off from the years of the 1970s and '80s. Around this time, the Utes also improved significantly, and the rivalry became much more competitive.

1990–2000: Edwards versus McBride

The rivalry began to change in 1993, during Ron McBride's fourth season as head coach, the Utes won their first game in Provo in twenty-two seasons and their first since LaVell Edwards became BYU head coach. Late in the fourth quarter, Utah's kicker Chris Yergensen, who had already missed two out of three field goals on the day, attempted to break the 31–31 tie. This time, Yergensen did not miss and kicked the game-winning 55-yard field goal, the longest of his career, with less than a minute remaining.

After the win, Utah fans and players attempted to tear down the north end zone goalpost at what was then Cougar Stadium. Cougar players returned to the field to protect the goalpost from being torn down. About the incident, Lenny Gomes, a BYU nose guard, said, "Typical Utah bullshit. All those guys think that's all there is to life. But when I'm making $50–60,000 a year, they'll be pumping my gas. They're low-class losers." The remark is still remembered in rivalry history today.

The 1994 season was McBride’s best, as he led the Utes to a 10–2 record and a top-10 finish in national rankings. The Utes and Cougars also staged one of the best matchups in the rivalry's history, meeting for the first time as top-25 ranked teams. The Utes won the game 34–31, which was coincidentally the same score of their meeting a year before. Utah ran its rivalry winning streak up to three games a year later, with a 34–17 win at BYU. The Utes and Cougars would trade wins and losses the next couple of years, before the 2000 season.

The Kaneshiro Doink

In 1998, the first Holy War was played at the newly renovated Rice–Eccles Stadium, BYU entered the game with an 8–3, (6–1 WAC) record and was playing for a berth in the WAC Championship game. Utah entered the game with a 7–3, (5–2 WAC) record and was hoping to land a bowl game and spoil BYU's WAC Championship hopes. BYU took a 26–17 lead when Owen Pochman connected on a 47-yard field goal with 2:41 left to play in the game. On the ensuing kickoff, Utah's Daniel Jones returned the ball 95 yards to cut the lead to 26–24. Utah's defense held BYU and forced them to punt. Utah moved the ball to the 15-yard line where Ryan Kaneshiro attempted a 32-yard field goal. The attempt bounced off the right upright, which preserved the win for BYU and caused the goalpost to shake from the "doink".

Utah cheerleader pummels an aggressive fan

BYU vs Wyoming 1996 Wac Championship

During the 1999 edition of the Holy War, Utah recorded its fourth consecutive win in Provo. Early in the fourth quarter, Utah scored a touchdown when quarterback T.D. Crowshaw completed a four-yard-pass to Donny Utu to put Utah up 20–10. In celebration, Utah cheerleader Billy Priddis ran along the visitor's sideline with a large "U" flag. An unidentified BYU fan ran onto the sideline and tackled Priddis from behind. Priddis turned around and started punching the fan. He landed seven or eight punches before security separated them. About the incident, Priddis said, ""There's 65,000 fans here, does he think I'm not going to retaliate?"

From the Utah sideline, receiver Steve Smith taunted BYU fans and yelled, "Even our cheerleaders are kicking your butt." BYU's athletic director Val Hale purported to have chastised Priddis and the rest of the Utah cheerleaders. After the game he said, "I told them from now on we're going to leave our flags at home and they should do the same. All it does is initiate the fans to throw things out of the stands."

Edwards' last game

Entering the 2000 season, legendary head coach LaVell Edwards announced that he was retiring. His final game as Cougars head coach came against the Utes in Salt Lake City, where BYU won 34–27 with an exciting last-minute drive that ended on a touchdown with little time remaining on the clock.

2001 and 2002: Crowton versus McBride

In 2001, under new head coach Gary Crowton, BYU entered their game against Utah undefeated and looking to become the first team from outside the BCS to play in a BCS bowl game. A tight game ended with a comeback by BYU. BYU running back Luke Staley raced down the sideline with 1:16 left to play to make it 24–21 and BYU DB Jenaro Gilford intercepted a pass on the ensuing Ute drive to seal the victory. The win gave the Cougars consecutive wins against the Utes for the first time in nearly ten years. The Cougs, however, failed to bust the BCS, losing to Hawai'i in their final game.

McBride, who had guided Utah to six bowl games and three bowl wins, entered the 2002 rivalry game in danger of being fired. The Utes had struggled all season long and even with their 13–6 victory against BYU, Utah finished with their second losing season in three years. The 5–6 finish sealed McBride’s fate and he was fired in 2002; Weber State University hired him in December 2004.

2003 and 2004: Crowton versus Meyer

Urban Meyer was hired to replace Ron McBride. Under Meyer, Utah players were not allowed to use the name BYU and began referring rather to the Team Down South or TDS (BYU being about 50 miles south of the University of Utah), imitating Ohio State coach Woody Hayes practice of referring to Michigan as "that team up north." This reference has become a tradition among some Utah fans.^{[citation needed]}

Scoring streak ends

See also: List of most consecutive games scoring in NCAA football

In Meyer's first season, the Utes won the Mountain West Confer

ence and finished 10–2, which was their best record since the 1994 season. The last game of the regular season, Utah beat BYU for the second straight year with a 3–0 victory. The victory snapped BYU's NCAA record for scoring in 361 straight games—BYU's first shutout since a 20–0 loss to Arizona State on September 25, 1975.

BCS busters

In 2004 Utah would have its best season up to that point, going 12–0 and becoming the first team from outside the BCS to play in a BCS bowl game. They went on to win their matchup against Pittsburgh in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl. The Utes final regular season game, a 52–21 victory over BYU, clinched the invitation to a BCS bowl. Urban Meyer then left Utah for Florida. After the 2004 season, Gary Crowton resigned after finishing with his third consecutive losing season.

2005–present: Mendenhall versus Whittingham

In 2005, Bronco Mendenhall and Kyle Whittingham started as head coaches at their respective programs. Whittingham was offered the job at BYU before turning it down and accepting the position at Utah. This has added to the rivalry between the two coaches. Whittingham leads Mendenhall 6–3 in the series. Seven of the nine games have been decided by a touchdown or less. In a December 17, 2009 column, writer Stewart Mandel called the coaching rivalry the best coaching rivalry of that decade.

First overtime game

In 2005 Utah fends off rival BYU in 3 Overtimes

The 2005 season saw some striking parallels between the two programs. Both had replaced their former head coaches, struggled through parts of their seasons, and would finish the regular season with 6–5 records. When the two met in Provo in November 2005, BYU was looking for its first win against the Utes in three seasons. Utah was looking for a winning record and a shot at a bowl game. BYU entered as the favorite because Utah would be playing without its starting quarterback and its best wide receiver, who had been injured in their previous game. The Utes were starting JC transfer Brett Ratliff who had taken just three snaps the week before. Ratliff surprised the Cougars by completing 17 of 32 passes for 240 yards and four touchdowns, and rushing for 112 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown. He was responsible for all five Utah touchdowns. The Utes won 41–34.

Beck to Harline

When the two teams met again in November 2006, this time in Salt Lake City, BYU jumped out to an early lead, then fell behind and trailed for much of the game, but finally won it 33–31 with an impressive last-minute drive, capped by a touchdown pass from John Beck to Jonny Harline with no time on the clock. The win gave BYU an undefeated record of 8–0 in Mountain West Conference play. Harline caught the pass on his knees in the endzone. It is often said, during rivalry week, "Harline is still open"^{[citation needed]}.

Magic happens.

In 2007 the teams clashed on November 24, in what was a mostly defensive game. The game's first 12 points were only field goals, BYU's Mitch Payne scoring 9 points. Utah then scored the first touchdown, taking the lead 10–9. In the fourth quarter, BYU came back with a late-game drive that included a 4th and 18 from its own 12-yard line. Four plays later, freshman running back Harvey Unga bulled into the endzone to win it 17–10. Austin Collie, who caught the Max Hall pass to convert the 4th and 18 to a first down said about the play, "I wouldn't say it was lucky. We executed the play well. We should have had another one. Obviously, when you're doing what's right on and off the field, I think the Lord steps in and plays a part in it. Magic happens." The comment further fueled the religious animosity between the two teams.

BCS busting...again

Only four years removed from shocking the world in 2004 and becoming the first team from outside the BCS to bust into the BCS, Utah returned to the national stage by going undefeated throughout the year. The game was fairly even until Utah scored a touchdown with 15 seconds left in the half to put the Utes up by 10. In the second half, BYU cut the lead to three by the end of the third quarter but couldn't keep Utah out of the endzone in the fourth quarter. Utah would score three times in the final quarter to win 48-24.

Utah was then invited to the All State Sugar Bowl to play against the University of Alabama. Utah once again shocked the world by beating the Crimson Tide 31-17 after Utah jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.

Second overtime game

In 2009, in the second overtime game in series history, BYU defeated Utah 26–23. BYU held a 20–6 lead entering the fourth quarter. Utah scored 14 fourth-quarter points to force overtime, but their comeback fell short. Utah managed a field goal in overtime to take a 23–20 lead, but on BYU's possession, Max Hall connected to tight end Andrew George for a 25-yard touchdown reception and the victory. The game was dubbed "George is still running" by BYU fans.

During the postgame press conference, Hall was asked if he felt he had redeemed himself for his performance in the previous year's game in which he had five interceptions and one fumble. Hall responded, "A little bit, yeah. I don't like Utah. In fact, I hate them. I hate everything about them. I hate their program. I hate their fans. I hate everything. So, it feels good to send those guys home. They didn't deserve it. It was our time and it was our time to win. We deserved it. We played as hard as we could tonight, and it felt really good to send them home and to get them out of here, so it is a game I'll always remember." When asked for a clarification and whether he really hated Utah, Hall said, "I think the whole university and their fans and organization is classless. They threw beer on my family and stuff last year, and did a whole bunch of nasty things. I don't respect them, and they deserve to lose."

The next day, Hall issued an apology for his "remarks". He alleged that his "family was spit on, had beer dumped on them and were physically assaulted on several occasions" during the previous year's game at Rice–Eccles Stadium.

Burton's block

For 2010, the game was played at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. It was the last game for the two teams as conference rivals. BYU entered the game with a 6–5 while Utah came in at 9–2. In a low scoring affair, BYU scored two field goals, one in each of the first two quarters, to lead 6–0 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Cougars got a touchdown on a 21-yard pass play from Jake Heaps to McKay Jacobson, to take a 13–0 lead. The fourth quarter began with Utah scoring a 40-yard field goal, cutting the lead to 13–3, and then after Utah recovered a BYU fumble, Utah capitalized with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Wynn to DeVonte Christopher to make the score 13–10. The Cougars responded with a field goal, to make it 16–10.

Utah responded to a series of turnovers with a Matt Asiata touchdown on a 3-yard run to make it 17–16 with 4:24 remaining. BYU then drove down the field to Utah's 22-yard line, to set up Mitch Payne for a game-winning field goal with 4 seconds remaining. However, Utah cornerback Brandon Burton raced from the outside to block the kick and secure a 17–16 Utah victory.

Rivalry tensions were heightened in the play's aftermath, as several Utah players taunted the Cougars trying to leave the field. Matt Martinez, a Utah linebacker, was seen shoving senior BYU kicker Mitch Payne.

Utah celebrates 2008 Sugar Bowl victory over #4 Alabama

Shock and awe

With Utah having left for the Pac-12 and BYU declaring conference independence, the 2011 BYU home game against Utah was the rivalry's first non-conference game since 1898. BYU suffered a rough start on its opening drive, when on its third play, the ball was snapped over quarterback Jake Heaps' head and recovered for a touchdown by Utah DE Derrick Shelby. The remainder of the 1st quarter held similar luck for BYU, with Running back JJ Di'Luigi fumbling on 1st and Goal from the Utah 6-yard line. The 2nd quarter proved more competitive with BYU completing a 32-yard TD pass to WR Ross Apo. Utah answered with 30-yard TD pass from QB Jordan Wynn to freshman TE Jake Murphy, just two minutes before the half. Utah led at halftime 14-10.

After a first half that seemed to promise the typical nail-biter game that the last decade of the rivalry had shown, it was anything but. The Utes scored 40 unanswered points in the 2nd half (a total of 47 unanswered). Turnovers continued to plague BYU, who would finish with 7, including JD Falslev's mishandled kickoff return at their own 6-yard line, QB Jake Heaps fumble at their own 6-yard line, and QB Riley Nelson's (substituted in for Heaps in the 4th quarter) fumble after being sacked, returned 57 yards for a TD by freshman LB V.J Fehoko.

The final result of 54–10 was the largest margin of victory for either team in the Holy War since a 55–7 BYU victory in 1983, and Utah's second-largest margin of victory ever in the Holy War. Utah's 54 points were the second most the Utes had ever scored against BYU.

Fandemonium

The 2012 incarnation of the Holy War ended in dramatic and odd fashion. Utah went into the 4th quarter up 17 points, but the BYU offense brought it within 3. With less than 30 seconds remaining, BYU quarterback Riley Nelson successfully drove into Utah territory on 4th and long with a 40-yard pass to wide receiver Cody Hoffman. On what was thought to be the final play of the game, Nelson's deflected pass fell incomplete as time seemingly expired and the Utah fans rushed the field. The pass, however, was shown to hit the ground with one second left, giving BYU an opportunity to kick a field goal from 51 yards (once the fans had been cleared from the field of play). On the attempt, the kick was blocked, the ball recovered by BYU, and the runner subsequently tackled. However, Utah fans again rushed the field, this time before the play was over, thus earning a penalty that gave BYU another chance at a field goal, this one from only 36 yards. That attempt was unsuccessful, however, when the kick hit the post and went awry. Utah won the game, 24-21.

2015 Las Vegas Bowl: Holy War in Sin City

The planned hiatus for 2014–2015 was unexpectedly cut short. On December 6, 2015, it was announced that BYU would play Utah on December 19, 2015, in the Las Vegas Bowl. It was the first time the teams met in the postseason and the first Holy War game to be played at a neutral site.

During the first 8 minutes of the game, Utah forced a Las Vegas Bowl record five turnovers in the first quarter, resulting in a 35–0 lead. Though BYU would score four unanswered touchdowns to narrow the lead to 35–28, Utah was able to secure a crucial first down at the end of the game to run out the clock. After the first five minutes of the game, BYU never possessed the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead in the game. Utah took the bowl game with a 35–28 win, ending Bronco Mendenhall's last game as BYU's head coach with a loss

2016–present: Whittingham versus Sitake

2016: Hindsight is 20–20

The first BYU offensive play from scrimmage in the 2016 game resulted in an interception, returned by Sunia Tauteoli for a 41-yard Utah pick-six. However, Utah subsequently committed several turnovers, which would lead to two BYU field goals and a touchdown late in the 2nd Quarter. Utah answered with a touchdown of their own and held a slim 14–13 lead as the teams headed into the locker room for halftime. After adding a field goal in the third quarter and one in the fourth quarter, Utah led 20–13 with 2:47 to go. Taysom Hill led BYU on 75-yard drive, capped off by a 7-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds to play. Rather than kick the PAT to make it 20–20, BYU Head Coach Kalani Sitake decided to go for the two-point conversion and the win. Quarterback Taysom Hill ran the ball up the middle on a draw, but the Utes stopped him at the three-yard line. Utah would emerge victorious by a score of 20–19, despite committing six turnovers in the game.

2017: The Tyler Huntley Show

In the 2017 matchup, Utah quarterback Tyler Huntley racked up a career-high 300 passing yards (27-of-36) and added a career-high 89 yards on the ground and a touchdown. The Utes held a 13-point lead to end the third quarter, but a late fourth quarter touchdown from BYU made it a six-point game, putting the pressure on the Utes' defense. They didn't disappoint, forcing three incomplete passes to regain possession and claim the victory. Utah would win the game, 19–13.

2018: The Comeback

In 2022 Utah won their 2nd straight Pac-12 title

The game on November 24, 2018, was held in Salt Lake City at Rice-Eccles Stadium. BYU (6–5) was the underdog to the Pac-12 South Champion Utah Utes (8–3). BYU jumped on the Utes, scoring 20 unanswered points. Utah's first score came early in the third quarter from an interception returned for a touchdown. BYU led 27–7 up until 40 seconds remained in the third quarter. After a Utah touchdown, the resulting momentum shift led to two touchdown runs by Armand Shyne, which gave Utah the lead for the first time with just 3:02 left in regulation. Utah, up by 1 point (28–27), then forced BYU to turn the ball over on downs with an impressive 4th & 1 stop. On the first play of the ensuing drive, with 1:43 left in the game, Utah quarterback Jason Shelley ran 33 yards for a touchdown to bring the score to 35–27. This was the largest deficit overcome for either team in the Holy War series.

2019: Moss Runs and Huntley Taunts

"We never gonna lose to them. They... they so poo-poo."

The 100th meeting between the two schools saw Utah winning their 4th straight game at LaVell Edwards Stadium with the help of senior running back Zack Moss, who rushed for 187 yards and scored a touchdown. Utah would win the game, 30–12, and extend their winning streak over BYU to 9 games.

2021: Ten is Not Coming

The Cougars and Utes did not meet in the 2020 season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and next met on September 11, 2021, in Provo, a day after BYU accepted an invitation to play in the Big 12 Conference starting in 2023. The 21st-ranked Utes faltered early offensively, turning the ball over twice in the first quarter. BYU capitalized and controlled the trenches for a large majority of the game, eventually building a 23–7 lead to begin the fourth quarter. The Utes would attempt to mount a comeback, cutting the deficit to six after a touchdown with 9:31 remaining, but BYU wore them down late, kicking a field goal with 3:17 left to put them up 26–17. After the Utes did not convert on 4th down on their ensuing possession, BYU ran out the clock. As time expired, BYU fans rushed out on the field to celebrate. The upset victory for BYU ended their nine-game losing streak and marked their first win over Utah since 2009, and Kalani Sitake's first win over Utah as BYU head coach. BYU quarterback Jaren Hall accounted for over 200 total yards with three passing touchdowns in the win, and the Cougars rushed for 231 yards against a Ute defense that had often stifled their running game in the decade past.

BYU Joins the Big 12

On September 10, 2021, the Big 12 Conference announced they had sent invitations to BYU to join the conference, along with Cincinnati, UCF, and Houston. BYU accepted the invitation and began competing in the conference in the 2023 season.

BYU struggled during its first season of Big 12 play in 2023, finishing 5-7 for a 2-7 conference record.

Utah leaves the Pac-12

In 2021, Utah posted an 8–1 record in conference play to win the South division before crushing Oregon by a 38–10 final in the conference title game, though they would narrowly lose their first Rose Bowl appearance in a high-scoring bout with Ohio State. In 2022, Utah defeated USC in the conference title game 47–24 to win back-to-back championships. On August 4, 2023, Utah announced it would join the Big 12 Conference starting the 2024-25 academic year, along with Arizona, Arizona State, and Colorado.

2024: The Hold, the Kick, and the Tantrum

After a two-year hiatus, the Cougars and Utes next met on November 9, 2024 in Salt Lake City. Both teams had since joined the Big 12 Conference. It was their first time playing as conference foes since 2010. BYU came into the game undefeated (8-0) and ranked 9th in the nation, while Utah (4-4) was struggling to end a four-game losing streak.

#9 BYU stays Undefeated vs Utah in 2024

The Cougars and Utes traded scores early in the first half, with BYU taking a 10-7 lead on a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. However, the Ute offense, led by new starting quarterback Brandon Rose, took control leading into halftime, taking a 21-10 lead at the break. The Utes' high-ranking defense largely suffocated BYU's offense for much of the game. But Utah's offense stalled often after halftime and was shut out in the second half. The Cougars took advantage and cut the deficit to 21-19 early in the fourth quarter. With under two minutes remaining, the Utes unleashed a ferocious pass rush on BYU's final drive that resulted in a 4th-down sack of Cougar quarterback Jake Retzlaff on his own 1-yard line, seemingly sealing the upset win for Utah. However, a defensive holding penalty was called on Ute cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn, giving BYU an automatic first down and extending their drive. Retzlaff then drove the Cougars 65 yards to the Utah 26, winding down the clock, allowing kicker Will Ferrin to convert a go-ahead 44-yard field goal with 4 seconds remaining, putting BYU in the lead 22-21. BYU promptly forced and recovered a Utah fumble on the ensuing kickoff to end the game and complete the comeback, their first victory in Salt Lake since 2006.

The defensive holding penalty on BYU's game-winning drive garnered controversy. Utah athletic director Mark Harlan was observed walking onto the field confronting an official during the last play of the game, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct foul. Immediately upon the game's conclusion, Harlan called a press conference and lambasted the officials' performance, stating "We won this game. Someone else stole it from us...I'm disgusted by the professionalism of the officiating crew tonight." Terry McAulay, former NFL official and current rules expert for NBC Sunday Night Football, weighed in on the call, stating that he believed the officials were correct. He explained, "[the hold]’s a foul. It’s always been a foul and it will always be a foul regardless of game, time, score, or situation." McAulay also blasted Harlan's outburst, calling it "embarrassing" and "despicable". Harlan was later issued a public reprimand and fined $40,000 by the Big 12 for his behavior and remarks.

Future games

After the game in 2021, the series was on a two-year hiatus, with Utah playing a home-and-home series with Florida. The future of the series was thrown into further doubt with BYU joining the Big 12 in 2023. However, the series was restored as a conference game with the announcement that Utah would also join the Big 12 beginning in 2024. In November 2023, it was announced that the matchup would be one of four in the Big 12 played on an annual basis.

Game results

BYU victories are colored ██ dark blue. Utah victories are colored ██ crimson. Ties are white.

Series record sources: College Football Data Warehouse.

* At the time BYU was Brigham Young Academy (BYA) later the name changed to Brigham Young University.

See also

• Utah–BYU rivalry
• Beehive Boot

Date	Winner	Score	Location	Series
April 6, 1896	Utah	12–4	Salt Lake City	Utah 1–0
November 14, 1896	Utah	6–0	Salt Lake City	Utah 2–0
December 5, 1896	BYA*	8–6	Provo	Utah 2–1
December 4, 1897	BYA*	14–0	Salt Lake City	Tied 2–2
December 18, 1897	BYA*	22–0	Provo	BYA 3–2
November 24, 1898	Utah	5–0	Salt Lake City	Tied 3–3
October 14, 1922	Utah	49–0	Salt Lake City	Utah 4–3
October 27, 1923	Utah	15–0	Provo	Utah 5–3
October 25, 1924	Utah	35–6	Salt Lake City	Utah 6–3
October 31, 1925	Utah	27–0	Provo	Utah 7–3
November 13, 1926	Utah	40–7	Salt Lake City	Utah 8–3
November 12, 1927	Utah	20–0	Provo	Utah 9–3
November 17, 1928	Tie	0–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 9–3–1
November 2, 1929	Utah	45–13	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 10–3–1
October 18, 1930	Utah	34–7	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 11–3–1
October 17, 1931	Utah	43–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 12–3–1
October 15, 1932	Utah	29–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 13–3–1
October 14, 1933	Utah	21–6	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 14–3–1
October 13, 1934	Utah	43–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 15–3–1
November 2, 1935	Utah	32–0	Provo	Utah 16–3–1
October 31, 1936	Utah	18–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 17–3–1
October 2, 1937	Utah	14–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 18–3–1
October 15, 1938	Tie	7–7	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 18–3–2
October 14, 1939	Utah	35–13	Provo	Utah 19–3–2
October 5, 1940	Utah	12–6	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 20–3–2
October 18, 1941	Tie	6–6	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 20–3–3
October 10, 1942	BYU	12–7	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 20–4–3
October 12, 1946	Utah	35–6	Provo	Utah 21–4–3
October 11, 1947	Utah	28–6	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 22–4–3
October 9, 1948	Utah	30–0	Provo	Utah 23–4–3
October 8, 1949	Utah	38–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 24–4–3
October 7, 1950	Tie	28–28	Provo	Utah 24–4–4
October 6, 1951	Utah	7–6	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 25–4–4
October 11, 1952	Utah	34–6	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 26–4–4
November 26, 1953	Utah	33–32	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 27–4–4
October 9, 1954	Utah	12–7	Provo	Utah 28–4–4
October 8, 1955	Utah	41–9	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 29–4–4
October 5, 1956	Utah	41–6	Provo	Utah 30–4–4
October 12, 1957	Utah	27–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 31–4–4
September 27, 1958	BYU	41–6	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 31–5–4
October 9, 1959	Utah	20–8	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 32–5–4
October 7, 1960	Utah	17–0	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 33–5–4
October 14, 1961	Utah	21–20	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 34–5–4
October 13, 1962	Utah	35–20	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 35–5–4
October 12, 1963	Utah	15–6	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 36–5–4
November 7, 1964	Utah	47–13	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 37–5–4
November 6, 1965	BYU	25–20	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 37–6–4
November 12, 1966	BYU	35–13	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 37–7–4
October 28, 1967	BYU	17–13	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 37–8–4
November 2, 1968	Utah	30–21	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 38–8–4
November 22, 1969	Utah	16–6	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 39–8–4
November 21, 1970	Utah	14–13	Ute Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 40–8–4
November 20, 1971	Utah	17–15	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 41–8–4
November 18, 1972	BYU	16–7	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 41–9–4
November 24, 1973	BYU	46–22	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 41–10–4
November 23, 1974	BYU	48–20	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 41–11–4
November 15, 1975	BYU	51–20	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 41–12–4
November 20, 1976	BYU	34–12	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 41–13–4
November 5, 1977	BYU	38–8	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 41–14–4
November 18, 1978	Utah	23–22	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 42–14–4
November 17, 1979	BYU	27–0	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 42–15–4
November 22, 1980	BYU	56–6	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 42–16–4
November 21, 1981	BYU	56–28	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 42–17–4
November 20, 1982	BYU	17–12	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 42–18–4
November 19, 1983	BYU	55–7	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 42–19–4
November 17, 1984	BYU	24–14	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 42–20–4
November 23, 1985	BYU	38–28	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 42–21–4
November 22, 1986	BYU	35–21	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 42–22–4
November 21, 1987	BYU	21–18	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 42–23–4
November 19, 1988	Utah	57–28	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 43–23–4
November 18, 1989	BYU	70–31	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 43–24–4
November 17, 1990	BYU	45–22	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 43–25–4
November 23, 1991	BYU	48–17	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 43–26–4
November 21, 1992	BYU	31–22	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 43–27–4
November 20, 1993	Utah	34–31	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 44–27–4
November 19, 1994	Utah	34–31	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 45–27–4
November 18, 1995	Utah	34–17	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 46–27–4
November 23, 1996	BYU	37–17	Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 46–28–4
November 22, 1997	Utah	20–14	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 47–28–4
November 21, 1998	BYU	26–24	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 47–29–4
November 20, 1999	Utah	20–17	Cougar Stadium, Provo	Utah 48–29–4
November 24, 2000	BYU	34–27	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 48–30–4
November 17, 2001	BYU	24–21	LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo	Utah 48–31–4
November 23, 2002	Utah	13–6	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 49–31–4
November 22, 2003	Utah	3–0	LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo	Utah 50–31–4
November 20, 2004	Utah	52–21	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 51–31–4
November 19, 2005	Utah	41–34OT	LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo	Utah 52–31–4
November 25, 2006	BYU	33–31	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 52–32–4
November 24, 2007	BYU	17–10	LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo	Utah 52–33–4
November 22, 2008	Utah	48–24	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 53–33–4
November 28, 2009	BYU	26–23OT	LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo	Utah 53–34–4
November 27, 2010	Utah	17–16	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 54–34–4
September 17, 2011	Utah	54–10	LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo	Utah 55–34–4
September 15, 2012	Utah	24–21	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 56–34–4
September 21, 2013	Utah	20–13	LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo	Utah 57–34–4
September 10, 2016	Utah	20–19	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 59–34–4
September 9, 2017	Utah	19–13	LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo	Utah 60–34–4
November 24, 2018	Utah	35–27	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 61–34–4
August 29, 2019	Utah	30–12	LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo	Utah 62–34–4
September 11, 2021	BYU	26–17	LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo	Utah 62–35–4
November 9, 2024	BYU	22–21	Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City	Utah 62–36–4

Utah Utes leads the series 62–36–4

References

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